Tool



Oct. 18, 1927. 1,645,753

E. HANSON TOOL Filed Oct. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

18 1927. Oct E. HANSON TOOL Filed Oct. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD HANSON, F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

moon.

Application filed October 15, 1925. Serial No. 62,520.

This invention relates to tools for operating screws, bolts, nails, tacks and like devices, more particularly a tool of the holding 7 type in which the device to be driven or screwed into a body or a hole therein is removably engaged and held in operative relation to the tool element.

One object of the invention is to construct a holding mechanism of relatively simple construction capable of (1) firmly and positively holding the device in operative relation to the tool element and (2) readily engaging and disengaging the device.

Another object of the invention is to construct a tool with an improved holder capable of rectilinear movement longitudinally of the tool to permit engagement and disengagement of the device to be operated, whereby the construction of the tool and its operation is materially simplified.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool with an improved device holder the walls of which co-act with the tool element to hold the device and prevent displacement thereof or its, accidental removal from the holder.

Another object is to provide a tool with a holder that will prevent the device from slipping out through the side opening in the holder unless the tool shank is withdrawn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder so constructed and associated with the tool element that the latter is exposed for efiecting the normal or ordinary 3; operations when the holder is not operated.

' Another object of the invention is to so construct the holder that maximum engagement with the device is attained while permitting the ready engagement of the device in operative relation to the tool element or its disengagement therefrom.

A further object is the provision of an adapter whereby the screw driver can be attached or connected to a brace or drill.

Other objects of my invention will be ap parent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, Fig. 1 is a side view of the tool.

Fig. 2' is a similar view with parts broken away. r

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the tool shank.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the parts forming one of the spring abutments.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the tool.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a side view, partly in section showingthe manner of associating the tool with an adapter whereby it may be mounted in the socket of a brace or drill.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a slightly modified form of construction.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the holder shell when made from a blank sheet of metal.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 10 and showing the tool element in its withdrawn position.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a sheet blank cut into shape to form the shell when rolled into the shape shown in Fig. 10.

The tool element may :be adapted to engage various kinds of securing devices, that shown for illustrative purposes comprises a screw driver. Since screws have to be held in operative relation to the threaded openings formed to receive them and it'is also desirable to grasp them when being removed therefrom, my invention finds its most useful application in connection with this form of tool, thereloypermitting the screws to be conveniently held while being inserted and started in their openings; also gripped and held when being removed so that they will not get lost or accidentally drop into some inaccessible place; but in such illustration and the following description thereof, applicant does not wish to be so limited.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a shank one end of which is secured to or mounted in a suitable handle 2 in any desired manner. While such mounting is not apart of my invention, the shank end preferably fits an openin in the handle and the metal of the shank 1s up-set to form lugs 15 which prevent its getting loose therein. The outer end of the shank 1 is tapered down, out or ground away, preferably on concaved lines to form a transverse rib 10 adapted to fit the slot a in the screw A ina well known manner as shown in Fig. 2.

3 indicates as an entirety the holder for the screws. Of the holder 3, 4 indicates a sleeve slidably .fit-ting the shank 1 near its outer end. To facilitate manufacture and assembly, the sleeve 4 may be formed from two tubular sections 4 4, 4, connected together substantially end to end in any desired manner, the form of construction providing for site end against an annular abutment 7 removably fixed to the shank 1. The abutment 7 preferably comprises a ring 36 and a key 35 having bifurcations which fit aligned slots 34 formed in the opposite sides of the shank 1. To secure the sections together their adjoining ends have a telescoping relation and the section 4 is expanded or flared into engagement with section 4", so that they may have a screw threaded or other suitable connection. At its outer end the section 4' is provided with an inturned wall 26, the pur ose of which is to enga e the under side of t e head b of the screw and thus co-act with the rib 10 to grip or hold it between them (see Fig. 2).

As shown in Fig. 6, the wall 26 is of semicircular shape at one side of an imaginar its inner edge formlng an end wa l line B, to receive and engage the shank of the largest screw A capable of being held b the holder 3; at the opposite side of the line B the wall 26 extends laterally, as indicated at 27, 27, to a plane indicatedby the line C, preferably co-incident with a chord of an arcuate opening 28 formed in the side of the tubular section 4" and extending inward- 1 from its outer end, the inner edges of these extensions bein disposed parallel and forming an elongate slot 29 through which the screw is moved to position it between the wall 26 and rib 10. The sleeve 4 is preferably guided in a rectilinear direction when movin and ri 10 or inwardly to effect their co-action to hold a screw. For this purpose the sleeve 4 is formed with an elongated opening 30 which receives a the slot serving to limit the movement of the sleeve in either direction. As will be' ing to rock it out of the slot 39 to bear at an angle on the rib 10; that is, the side wall of the slot a in the screw head will bear against the side of the rib 10, hence the latter w1ll prevent displacement of the screw.

outwardly to separate the wall 26 pin 31, the end walls ofly at an angle ereof. This arrange- Likewise if a force is applied to the screw in a direction outwardly of the slot 29 in the plane of the wall 26, the screw will be held in the holder due to the abutting relation between the side of the rib 10 and side wall of the slot a. To permit the tool element or rib 10 to extend beyond the holder 3 to enable it to be used in the ordinary manner as well as to engage the screw A when its head is close to or in engagement with the body in which it is mounted, I form the wall 26 with a slot 32 and cut away the remote extension 27 8 thereby permitting the sleeve to slide inwardly on the shank 1 so that the outer end thereof and the rib 10 extend beyond the wall 26, as shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 7, the metal of the sleeve section 4 along the sides of the openin 28 is cut away on lines 28 that are tangential to the inner wall of the section at diametrical points so that this opening will receive a screw head of 'a size equal to the diameter of the section.

Where the tool is to be removably mounted in a supporting member, such as the socket of a ratchet screw driver, a carpenters brace or a hand drill, or to be mounted in an adapter, which in turn is to be mounted in one of these supporting members, the inner end of the shank is cut off as shown at 1' in Fig. 8 and preferably stepped as shown at 33, and at a point remote from the end 1 the shank is formed with a notch 34 to receive the inner end of a set screw 35. In Fig. 8 I have shown the.

tool shank mounted in an adapter 36 having a socket 36 the bottom of which is shaped to fit the stepped end 33, and a set screw. The adapter is provided with a tapered an lar stem 37 tofit within the holding sofiiiat or chuck of a brace.

Where it is desired to reduce the size of the tool particularly for use in connection with the smaller sizes of screws, I construct the tool as shown in Fig. 9. In this form of construction I substantially reverse the parts, that is, the sleeve 4 serves as the handle and the tool shank 1 is moved relative to the sleeve to permit the insertion and removal of the screw. To provide for this arrangement the outer end of the sleeve section 4" is provided with a head 38 which is hollowed out on its inner end to form a chamber 38 for the inner end of the shank 1 when it is moved against the tension of the spring 5*. 39 indicates a rod fixed to the shank 1 and preferably extending laterally from its opposite sides through slots 30? formed in the opposite sides of the sleeve section 4". As will be understood, the rod 39 and the slots 30 serve to guide the shank 1" in a rectilinear direction to maintain it and the sleeve 4 in the predetermined relat1on already set forth. The spring 5 abuts the inner end of the head 38 and a washer 36* bearing against the rod 39. Where the '3 tool is relatively small it may be grasped in the hand witli the head 38 against the palm and the index and second ger disposed over or around the opposite ends of the rod 39 so that inward movement of the shank 1 can be readily effected.

If desired, the sections 4, 4", may be made from a blank of sheet metal, such a blank for the section 4 being shown in'Fig. 12, having a member 26* to form the wall 26 and a cut away 32 to form the slot 32 for the rib 10 and an elongated slot 40 to receive the pin 31. Or, if desired,-instead of providing a guide comprising a pin and a slot, such guide may comprise a fin 41 (see dotted lines in Figs. 10 and 12) extending inwardly ,from one edge 41* of the blank and fitting a longitudinal groove 42 formed in the shank 1 as shown in Fig. 11. The opposite edges 41* of the blank may be welded together if desired.

To operate the tool shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8, it is held in one hand and outward pressure is effected on the sleeve against the tension of the spring 5 to move the sleeve 4 outwardly beyond the rib 10, thus separating the rib 10 and wall 26 and permitting the other hand to insert the screw through the openin 28 and slot 29 with the screw head I) inwar y of the wall 26. Then the pressure on the sleeve 4 is released,.permitting the spring 5 to move it inwardly and clamp the screw between the wall 26 and rib 10 and thus securely hold it while being started in its opening. When the screw head is close to being seated, a pull back on the handle 2 withdraws the rib 10 from the kerf or slot a of the screw head, and by giving the tool a slight twist, the screw holder slips off the screw head, the spring retracts the screw holder 3 on the shank and thus causes the rib to project beyond the end of the screw holder, whereby it may be operated as an ordinary screw driver for tightening the screw into its final position. Of course it is merely a matter of reversin the sequence of these motions when removing a screw particularly when it is necessary to prevent the loss of the same or its falling into an inaccessible place. 1

It is obvious that the tool can be made of any size and the size in the opening in the screw holder varied so that it can be used for various sizes and kinds of screws. Other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a shank having a tool element at its outer end, of a holder for a device to be operated upon by said element comprising a sleeve slidable endwise on said shankand having an opening formed in its side wall adjacent its outer end, said opening having a width substantially equal to the internal diameter of said sleeve, an inwardly extending flange extending around the end of said sleeve between the op osite sides of saidopening and forming a s ot as an elongation of said opening, means between said sleeve and shank for maintaining said tool elementat an angle to the major axis of said slot while guiding said sleeve and'shank longitudinally one relative to the other, and a spring interposed between said shank and said sleeve normally tending to effect relative movement between them in a direction to clamp a device between said tool element and the inner face of said flange.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which the flange is formed with a radial slot through which the tool element normally projects and the ends of said flan e extend beyond a line cutting the axis 0 the tool shank at right angles to the axis of the elongated slot. I

3. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a shank havin a tool element on its free end, a sleeve shdable longitudinally on said shank, a flange on and extending inwardly from the outer end of said sleeve around a portion of its side and forming a slot as an elongation of an opening, sa1d sleevehaving said opening in its side wall registering with the open end of said slot, and means for guiding the'sleeve on said shank'with said tool element extending from one end of said flange at an inclined angle to said slot, and said flange at the portion diametrically opposite said end being formed with a narrow slot through which said tool element projects.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

7 EDWARD HANSON. 

